Falling Inside The Black
by CelestialSonata7
Summary: Logan falls into an old mine and the guys, plus the rescue workers have to try to get him out, before it's too late. The problem is, the crane hasn't arrived yet, and Logan has more problems in the mine with him. NO SLASH.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Requested by swagUPwindowsDOWN. Ya ever see the movie 'All About Steve'? Well that's where the whole, 'weak ground collapsing into a mine in an open field' thing came from. Hope you like it Ms. Sarah! And I also h****ope everything goes okay with you and your sister!**

**This got pretty long, so I had to split it into three chapters. Like I did with 'Stranded', the chapters will be uploaded once a day.**

**So, hope you enjoy this three-shot! :)**

**No slash, just friendship.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Falling Inside The Black

"_Don't leave me here so cold. . .  
__Don't leave me here alone. . .  
__Falling in the black, slipping through the cracks.  
__Falling to the depths can I ever go back?  
__Falling inside the black._" - 'Falling Inside The Black' by Skillet

"Ugh. Soooo tiiiiiired." James groaned.

"Me too." Kendall agreed. "But hey, it was a pretty good practice."

"I'll say." Logan said as he slung his duffle bag over his shoulder. "We've got a good strategy. It's gonna be hard to beat us." He smirked.

"Yeah,". Carlos agreed. "'Cause we're like, the best team ever!" The others chuckled and agreed.

Then Kendall glanced at the clock, his eyes widening. "Oh my gosh! When did it get so late?" He exclaimed in horror, then hurriedly finished packing his hockey gear. "Come on guys, we gotta go. Mom wanted us back by five, and it's already six-thirty!"

The others quickly hurried their packing and followed Kendall out of the hockey rink, into the darkening streets.

"Man, I can't wait to get back." Carlos said as they walked down the streets. "Your mom makes the best suppers ever!"

"Can't argue with that." James said with a smile. "And after that long practice, I'm starving!"

"Same here." Kendall said. "Let's cut through the field, it'll be quicker. Plus there's construction work down the street that I don't feel like walking through."

"You think your mom will be mad that we're late for dinner?" Logan asked worriedly as they turned the corner and walked through a fence to a large, wide-open field.

Kendall hesitated. "Let's hurry."

The others gulped and picked up their pace. They knew full well that no one survives, or dares even threatens Mrs. Knight's wrath.

Logan was slightly behind the others, when he nearly tripped on his shoelace. In their hurry from the rink, he didn't have the time to tie his shoes; but now that he was tripping over them, he had no other choice.

Logan stopped and bent down, trying to tie his shoes as quickly as he could to catch up with the guys. But there had already been a half-knot in it to begin with, and when he stepped on it, it only tightened, making it harder for him to untie. Logan fumbled with his laces, trying to be fast so as not to fall too far behind the others, since they hadn't noticed his absence and continued walking at a fast pace.

Finally pulling tight his laces, Logan stood and began jogging to catch up with the guys.

But Logan's next step crumbled beneath him.

"So what's your mom cooking tonight?" James asked as they walked through the field.

"Not quite sure." Kendall answered. "She mentioned a lot of meals, I don't know what she decided on. It might be spaghetti and meatballs."

"Woo hoo!" Carlos cheered. "I love Mama Knight's spaghetti and meatballs!"

"Don't we all?" James asked with a smile.

"Either way, we might not get _anything_ if we're any more late." Kendall said. "Let's hurry up."

"Party-pooper." Carlos pouted. "We're already late, how much worse could it get?" He mumbled.

"Yeah." James agreed. "You're starting to act like Logan here." He gestured behind him to where he last saw Logan, but when he looked back, he frowned. "Logan?"

The others stopped, looking around. Logan wasn't there.

"Not funny Logan." Kendall called. "Quit playing around, we gotta get home!"

"Logan?" Carlos called. "Where did he go? He was right behind us a second ago."

Kendall retraced their steps with his eyes, looking down the field they'd just walked. Then, his eyes widened.

James and Carlos frowned in confusion at Kendall's sudden change in demeanor. But then they followed his gaze and understood, their hearts sinking.

* * *

Logan was momentarily confused as to what had just happened. He looked around and it was completely dark, save for the small amount of light above him. Dust and dirt rose up, making him cough and gag. It was also freezing, sending shivers through his body. He slowly sat up, but his whole body ached, and he grunted in pain.

Logan looked above him to see a large hole in the sky. He frowned, that's not right. No, wait. It was a large hole in the _ground_, which Logan had just _fallen_ through.

Quickly fumbling for his phone, Logan lit up the screen so he could see where he was. He pointed the illuminated screen around the room, on the walls, the ground, the ceiling, everywhere.

A mine. An abandoned mine. That's where Logan fell into. His mind finally deduced that the ground had caved beneath him and he fell into the weak mine shaft.

It was a circular room, with tunnels all along the side, some dipping further down. But every tunnel was blocked off by past cave-ins.

Logan tried to get up, but an intense pain shot through his left leg, and he cried out, holding his leg. He brought the phone to light it. His jeans were damp, damp in red.

Logan sighed, leaning up against a nearby boulder. '_Broken_.' How was he going to get out now?

"Logan!"

Logan looked up through the hole at the call. A small relief fluttered through him. He wasn't alone. His friends were there. They could get help.

Then fear crept into Logan's heart. "Stop!" He cried.

"Logan?" Kendall called.

"The ground's weak!" Logan yelled. "Don't get t-too close!"

Tentatively, three heads peeked over the edge. "Logan!" James called.

"Are you okay?" Carlos asked.

"What happened?" Kendall asked.

"The g-ground crumbled when I stepped on it!" Logan yelled up, still shivering in the cold. "I fell int-to an old m-mine I think! It's hard to tell, it's p-pretty dark d-down here!"

"Are you hurt at all?" Kendall asked.

"M-my leg." Logan called. "I think it's b-broken."

"Okay, hold tight!" Kendall breathed. "We're gonna call for help! Just stay put!"

Logan nodded with a sigh and slumped up against the boulder. Then a shiver racked his body and he rubbed his arms for warmth.

"You okay Loges?" James called down. He couldn't see too well down the dark hole but could just make out his friend leaning against a large rock and shivering.

"J-just, cold down here." Logan answered.

James' face fell sympathetic. "Don't worry, help is coming soon! We'll get you out!" Then he moved from the hole and turned to Kendall worriedly. "We'll get him out right?"

Kendall hung up his phone and nodded. "Help is on the way now. They'll be here soon, don't worry."

"How soon?" Carlos asked worriedly.

Kendall sighed. "Soon." He said as he wrapped an arm around Carlos' shoulders. "In the mean time, let's just stay calm."

The others nodded uncertainly.

"Carlos,". Kendall said. "Why don't you keep Logan occupied? James and I will keep a look out for the ambulance."

Carlos saluted then carefully sat at the edge of the hole as Kendall and James walked a little near the street.

Carlos peeked into the hole down at Logan. "How ya doin' buddy?" He called.

Logan used all his will power not to roll his eyes with a sarcastic remark. "Fine, 'Los. Just cold, and dusty, and tired."

Carlos winced at Logan's tone. Despite Logan's efforts, annoyance still crept into his yell back up at Carlos. Carlos mentally slapped himself for asking such a stupid question. "You wanna play a game while we wait?" He asked nervously.

Logan sighed. He knew Carlos was just trying to help him take his mind off of their situation, to brighten the mood. Just like he always did. Still, a game was the last thing Logan was in the mood for. But nonetheless, he smiled lightly up at Carlos. "Sure, that sounds like fun."

"How long do you think they'll take?" James asked worriedly as he searched the empty streets.

"I don't know." Kendall said as he did the same.

"What if they don't get here for hours?" James asked anxiously. "What if they forget? What if-"

"James." Kendall said sternly. "Calm down. It's gonna be okay."

"How do you know that?" James asked. "Logan's hurt! His leg is broken, and he's stuck in a dark and cold mine! What if something else happens? What if more of the ground crumbles, or he runs out of oxygen, or he gets sick, or-"

"James! Enough!" Kendall yelled, then rubbed a hand over his eyes.

James sighed. "I'm sorry." He said quietly. "I'm just worried. But that's no excuse. I'm sorry."

Kendall sighed. "It's okay. I'm worried too. More than you know."

"How do you do it?" James asked. "How can you stay so calm? This is crazy! Anything could happen. And yet, you're not freaking out."

Kendall shrugged. "Practice I guess. I've spent my days with you guys long enough to learn how to keep my cool in these situations." He joked with a smirk. "Plus mom is really good at it. I guess I just picked it up from watching her all the time."

"Still." James said, shaking his head. "How are you not. . ." He trailed off.

Kendall looked to James with sympathy and understanding. He dropped his gaze with a sigh. "I _am_ scared." He whispered.

James looked at Kendall with surprise, then sympathy. He was about to say something when the sound of approaching sirens captured their attention. They both breathed a sigh of relief.

"They're here." Kendall breathed.

* * *

"How's it looking?" The chief officer called.

Another worker carefully walked back to the chief. "Not so good. The ground's really unstable. We won't be able to get close enough."

The chief sighed. "Not what I wanted to hear." He breathed and rubbed a hand over his face. He subtly glanced at the boys watching anxiously behind the fenced barrier his men had set up upon arrival. They kept trying to see into the hole, their worried-beyond-belief looking faces lit up by the large tall lights the crew had set up around the site to see in the night.

The chief was not looking forward to this. "Call the crane." The chief told the worker. Then, taking a deep breath, he slowly trudged towards the boys.

"Well?" Kendall demanded as the chief neared him and his friends at the fence. "Are you getting him out? How long is it gonna take?"

The chief sighed. "The ground's unstable. We can't get close enough to reach your friend."

"What?" James exclaimed. "But, you have to get him out!"

"Is he gonna be stuck down there forever?" Carlos asked fearfully.

"We've already called for a crane." The chief explained. "It'll help us reach him without getting too close. But it'll be a little while before it gets here."

"How long?" Kendall asked.

"Don't know." The chief answered solemnly. "Could be ten minutes. Could be an hour."

"An _hour_?" James repeated in horror. "We can't wait an hour! Logan needs help _now_!"

"I'm sorry boys." The chief said. "There's nothing more I can do until it gets here. You'll just have to be patient."

The boys all sighed in defeat, slumping their shoulders in devastation.

"Well, how's he doing?" Kendall asked.

"Surprisingly well, actually." The chief said, impressed. "He's not freaking out. He's perfectly calm, he answers our questions on his condition thoroughly, which helps us immensely. He's a very brave and smart kid."

The boys smiled at that. "Can we please see him?" Carlos asked.

The chief sighed. "I already told you-"

"Yeah yeah, the ground's too weak for us to stand on,". James waved off. "It's a safety hazzard, blah blah. But that's our friend down there! He's cold and alone, we just want to make sure he's okay."

"We won't leave him there alone." Kendall said firmly. "Please Chief Nolan. Let us be with our friend."

Chief Nolan sighed. "Alright. You can see him. But you can't get too close to the hole. You can't try to go down and help him. You stay where we say it's safe, and when and if we need to pull you out of there, you listen and follow without question. Alright?"

"Yes sir!" The boys nodded.

Chief Nolan smirked and opened the gate, allowing the boys to come trampling through. "Be careful!" He called after them.

"Logan!" The boys yelled as they skidded to their knees by the hole.

The boys heard a sigh echo back up to them. "You convinced him to let you back here didn't you?" Logan called. Annoyance was clear in his voice but so was amusement, and delight at hearing his friends again.

"You know us Logie!" Kendall yelled down. "It's hard to separate us longer than ten minutes without us having a fit!"

"Oh I know!" Logan emphasized. "Our poor parents learned that the hard way! Multiple times!" He chuckled.

"What are you saying Loge?" James feigned offense. "Would you rather us go back and wait over there, leaving you here alone to listen to these workers chatter on about nothing?"

"Honesty? Yes!" Logan called. "At least you wouldn't be leaning on unstable ground that could break any minute, making you fall down here!"

"We'd rather be down there with you than up here with these stiffs any day!" Kendall called with a smile.

"Yeah!" Carlos yelled. "If anything, I _want_ to be down in that cool abandoned mine! Why do you get all the fun?" He joked.

Logan chuckled. "Dunno! It just finds me! Guess I'm just lucky!"

They all chuckled, clinging to the happy moment, but then fell silent as the seriousness of the situation set in.

"So uh, how are you doin'?" Kendall asked.

"I'm fine Kendall!" Logan assured. "You don't have to worry!"

Kendall scoffed. "Easy for you to say! Your best friend isn't stuck in a cold hole in the ground with a broken leg!"

"And thank goodness for that!" Logan yelled without missing a beat.

"What,". James began in offense. "You don't think any of us could handle it?"

"I _know_ none of you could handle it!" Logan retorted with a smirk.

"Oh yeah?" Carlos asked defensively. "And how do you know that?" Then some clatter above stole the boys' attention for a moment.

Logan sighed, dropping his gaze. "Because I'm barely handling it myself." He muttered to himself.

* * *

"Are we deep enough yet?" One construction worker asked.

"Nah." Another worker answered. "There's a hold up with the equipment truck. Ambulances and cranes. Apparently some kid got stuck in a hole and they're trying to get him out."

The first worker sighed. "Well, I guess we'll have to do it the old fashioned way. We can't let traffic slow us down from building this office building. Grab the pick-axes."

The two men ordered their co-workers to grab their axes and all started hacking away at the same spot, trying to get the dirt away faster.

One man, a particularly large man, swung his axe down with more force than the others, and the sharpened tip plunged into something hard. Something other than dirt. A 'clink' sound echoed to them. The sound of metal on metal.

"What was that?" The chief worker asked.

The strong man shrugged, then lifted his axe. The place it had hit suddenly started spewing water up to them.

"A water pipe!" One man yelled. "We hit a water pipe!"

The boss worker turned around and smacked his second-in-command worker on the shoulder. "I thought you checked this area to make sure we weren't near any pipes!"

"I did!" The man said, rubbing his shoulder. "The blueprints the owner gave me said it was clear!"

"Well clearly it's not!" The boss worker yelled. He sighed then looked back to where the men were trying to plug the hole and stop the water. "We need to get this water to stop, before it turns the whole place into mud."

At least twenty minutes later, the hole was all plugged with boards and any cloth they could gather, and the boss argued on the phone with the owner of the lot, about the outdated blueprints, any means to fix the now punctured water pipe, and who laid at fault for the damage.

No one noticed the pipe breaking with the gathered pressure.

Then it burst, spraying everyone in the lot.

"Get that water under control!" The boss yelled.

The men tried everything they could to stop the water from flowing; diverting the water down the burst pipe, where it streamed through the dirt.

* * *

"Any word yet?" Chief Nolan asked.

"Not yet." Another officer sighed as he hung up his phone. "They're still stuck in traffic."

Chief Nolan mimicked his sigh. "We need that crane soon." He said worriedly. "It's getting cold out. I don't know how much longer that kid will last with that broken leg, and in the cold mine." The chief and officer shared worried looks and sighs, before turning back to the boys at the hole.

Kendall caught their gaze. He subtly glanced at James and Carlos, both entertaining Logan with a game of 'I Spy'. Then Kendall slipped away to the chief. "Are they coming yet?" He asked quietly, so as not to let the others hear.

The chief shook his head solemnly. "Traffic's rough out there right now. They can't get through."

Kendall sighed, running a hand through his hair. "They gotta get here soon."

Chief Nolan laid a hand on his shoulder. "They will." He said gently. "Don't worry. We'll get your friend out."

Kendall sighed heavily. He wanted to believe the chief, but there was still an inkling of doubt, and that scared him even more.

"Is it, that rock?" Logan sighed unenthusiastically.

"You're right again!" Carlos exclaimed. "You're turn!"

Logan offered a small smile. "Why don't you skip me this time? There's not much I can see to use anyway!"

"Okay!" Carlos shrugged. "You're next James."

James smiled at Carlos, then sent Logan a look of sympathy. He knew Logan wasn't exactly enjoying their little game, nor was it helping take his mind off their dire situation. And James could tell by Logan's faint facial expression, it wasn't distracting him from the pain in his leg either.

"Why don't we do something else for a bit?" James suggested. "Like Logan said, he can't really use anything for the game anyways, so it's not really fair."

"Okay." Carlos shrugged. "What do you wanna do?"

"Hmm." James thought. "Why don't we sing some songs? That's always fun!"

"Cool!" Carlos exclaimed. He sucked in a breath to begin belting out the first song on his mind.

But James held his hands up suddenly to stop him. "Ah, not too loud though." He said. "Wouldn't want to wake anyone around here. It's pretty late." Truthfully, James feared too much noise would unsettle the walls in the mines, causing more problems for them, and especially Logan, but Carlos' innocent, fun-loving and naive mind didn't need to know that.

Carlos saluted to James' command and started singing softly. "Better with you. . ."

James and Logan smiled and joined in with Carlos softly. "Better with you, yeah. . ."

Halfway through the song, Logan stopped. Hearing a noise echo to him from the cave.

Carlos frowned. "Logie!" He stopped at a verse with a whine. "Why'd you stop singing?"

"Shhh!" Logan hushed as he stared down a dark tunnel. "I think I hear something!"

James and Carlos frowned and leaned a little closer into the hole, trying to hear what Logan heard. A small clicking sound echoed to them. It sounded like little pebbles hitting other rocks.

"What is that?" James asked.

Logan peered down the tunnel, trying to see anything. "I don't know."

Suddenly there was another sound. The sound of water. The sound traveled closer, and a light stream ran along the ground.

Logan's eyes widened. "Water! There's water down here!" A small shiver racked Logan's body as the freezing water snaked beneath him, quickly soaking his jeans. "Guys!"

"Oh no." James said softly as he stood urgently. He turned to where the chief and Kendall stood talking. "Hey! There's water down there! Running water!"

Chief Nolan and Kendall both shot towards James, eyes wide.

"What?" Chief Nolan exclaimed, then he and Kendall both ran to the hole, looking down into it. "Oh no." Chief Nolan breathed, then turned back to his men. "We need that crane _now_!" He ran off to his men.

Kendall turned back into the hole worriedly. "Are you okay Logan?"

"Yeah!" Logan called back up. "For now. It's n-not running too fast!"

"Is there any way you can get to higher ground?" James called down.

Logan tried lifting himself up but his leg spiked in pain and he cried out, stopping. "N-no!" He called. "It hurts t-to move!"

The boys all breathed rapidly in worry, trying to think of some way to help Logan.

"Okay!" Kendall said in a cracking voice. "Just don't move! We'll figure something out!"

Logan nodded. "Ok-kay!"

Carlos ran a shaky hand through his hair. "He's freezing." He said softly as he looked down the hole. "The water is making him cold." He turned back to Kendall and James with worried and tearful eyes. "What do we do?"

Kendall and James shared a worried look, before looking back to Carlos.

"I. . ." Kendall began shakily. "I don't know."

* * *

**Author's note: Next chapter's comin' at ya tomorrow. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Thanks for the high response guys! Here's part two.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Falling Inside The Black Pt. 2

"We need it here _now_!" Chief Nolan shouted into his cell phone. "I know there's traffic but isn't there some way you could take a different route? We don't have a lot of time!. . .Patient?" He exclaimed in disbelief. "A kids' _life _is at stake here! Patience isn't gonna help anybody!"

Kendall watched helplessly as the chief argued into his cell phone. Dread filled his heart; he knew that the crane was still held up. They wouldn't be able to get Logan out any time soon.

Kendall looked back to the hole. James and Carlos were trying to keep Logan occupied, trying to keep calm and act natural; like nothing bad was happening. But Kendall could tell by the shakiness of their voices as they yelled down over the sound of the water, that they were far from calm.

"We can party all night, have the time of our life!"

The guys sang, trying to hear over the streaming water. Their voices echoed in the mines.

James mentally scowled at the irony of the lyrics with the situation. This was far from what they considered the 'time of their lives'. But if singing helped Logan take his mind off everything, then James was going to sing his heart out.

James was brought out of his thoughts when he heard a sneeze, and he looked down into the hole with worry.

"Logie?" Carlos called. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah." Logan shivered. "J-just. . .Cold." The water covered most of his legs now, slowly raising to his waist.

"Just hang in there!" James called. "Help is coming soon!" James wanted to scream at himself. Even _he_ knew what a lie that was. Frustration heated him to the core. It took all his will power not to jump down the hole and pull Logan back up to them. It took all of his will power to keep from screaming in anger.

Carlos stared down the hole with teary eyes. Logan must be so cold, and there was nothing Carlos could do to help him. He wanted to grab Logan and hold him tight, warming him up and never letting anything bad happen to him again. He wanted to scream and cry and beg at the workers to help Logan out of there. But all he could do was wait, and watch. And pray.

Kendall approached the guys slowly. He let out a big sigh, alerting them to his presence. Immediately they bombarded him with questions.

"Are they here yet?" James asked.

"Are they gonna help Logan get out?" Carlos asked.

"Who's the chief talking to?" James asked.

Kendall held up a hand to cease them. "They're still stuck in traffic. The chief is talking to them, seeing if there's any way they could get here faster. So far, no luck." He answered solemnly.

James huffed and stomped his foot in frustration, and Carlos ran a hand through his hair with a sniffle.

Kendall sighed. "How's he doing?" He nodded to the hole.

"He's cold." James answered bitterly. "He's stuck in a freezing hole with a broken leg and raising water. How do you _think_ he's doing?"

Kendall's face fell sympathetic and he laid a hand on James' shoulder. "It'll be okay." He said softly. "They'll be here. They'll get Logan out. It'll be okay."

James sighed. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so snappy. I'm just worried."

"Aren't we all?" Kendall smirked sadly. "Come on. Let's go keep Logan company."

James nodded and took a deep breath, then allowed Kendall to lead them back to the hole.

"Hey Logie!" Kendall called. "How ya doin' down there?" He knew what a stupid question that was, but he just wanted to keep Logan talking to keep his mind off everything.

"'M f-fine." Logan shivered back up. He cringed. His voice was a dead give-away that he was the exact opposite of fine. He couldn't stop shivering and his lips felt frozen.

The water had risen up passed Logan's waist now, icing his stomach and splashing up his torso. The only good thing about the freezing water was that it had nearly numbed all the feeling from his legs, easing the pain in his broken limb slightly.

"A-are they here y-yet?" Logan asked.

Kendall sighed. "Not yet! But soon! Just hang in there buddy!"

"I'll t-try." Logan said, then sneezed.

"Don't worry Logie!" Carlos called. "Once you get out of there, we'll all go home and drink some nice hot chocolate and sit in the living room with blankets piled on us and watch your favorite movie! How's that sound?"

Logan let out a shaky chuckle. "That s-sounds like t-the best night ev-ver." He called.

"Then it's a plan!" James called as cheerfully as he could. "Don't worry! You'll be all warmed up on the couch in no time!"

"I hope so." Logan said softly.

The guys, having heard Logan's last statement despite how quiet it was, glanced at each other with worry and dread in their eyes.

Carlos sniffled and closed his eyes. "Please get here soon." He prayed softly.

* * *

Chief Nolan sighed as he watched the boys yelling into the hole from where he stood. It had been at least two hours since he and his men had arrived on the scene, and at least thirty minutes since his last call to the crane to see where they were. Still, they weren't getting to the site any faster. And still, the boys begged him to make the crane get there faster.

There was nothing Chief Nolan could do, and yet he still felt guilty for not doing anything. He was still ordering his men around, trying to find any way they could get to the boy in the hole without the crane, but everything they tried either wouldn't reach, or was too dangerous for anyone to attempt.

Chief Nolan sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. A part of him; the police chief/hero complex part, wanted to just dive right into the hole and sling the kid over his shoulders, then find a way out. But the other part; the rational/realistic part, knew what a bad idea that was, and could very well end up killing both of them.

Frustration soon took over the chief, and he yelled angrily as he threw his phone across the ground, then kicked his car. He rested his hands on the hood of the car and breathed, trying to calm down. Finally cooling off, he went over and retrieved his still intact, heavy-duty phone from the ground. Then, with a deep, shuddering breath, he started towards the boys at the hole.

"What's fifty-four divided by nine?" Kendall yelled down the hole.

Logan didn't answer right away. His mind was foggy, his breathing was rapid and shallow, and his body was trembling and weak. The freezing water was slowly creeping passed his chest up to his shoulders, the cold shooting through Logan like glass shards piercing throughout his body. His slow, frozen mind-set tried working through the math problem. A question that would've come in a second to him, was taking minutes for him to comprehend.

"S-six." Logan answered weakly. It was a struggle just to keep his head up now, the strength in him slowly freezing over, weighing him down. He was so tired, his eyelids started drooping.

"Come on Logan!" James yelled shakily. "You gotta stay awake!" They had to keep him talking, keep his brain stimulated so it didn't let the cold shut itself down.

"Seventy-eight times five!" Carlos yelled. He didn't know the answer, so he wouldn't know if Logan would answer correctly, but he had to at least keep him talking.

More silence.

"Logan!" Kendall yelled. "Come on buddy, what's the answer? You can do this!"

"Th-three hundred. . .Ninety." Logan said weakly.

"That's good!" Kendall yelled. "Keep it up! It won't be long now! Just stay awake!"

"How's it goin' boys?" Chief Nolan asked as he walked up to them.

"'_How's it goin'_'?" James repeated incredulously. "My friend is stuck in a hole with a broken leg and freezing cold water that's up to his neck! How do you think it's going?" He yelled furiously.

"He's getting weak." Kendall answered worriedly. "I don't know how long he can stay awake. And like James said, the water is up to his neck now, and he can't move."

Chief Nolan sighed heavily, then he peeked into the hole. "Hey kid!" He called. "You holding up okay?"

"F-fine as can b-be, sir." Logan yelled up weakly. "A-are they here y-yet?"

"Not quite yet!" Chief Nolan answered. "But they're close! They should be here any minute! Just hold on for a bit longer okay?"

"Ok-kay." Logan shivered.

"Is that true?" Kendall asked incredulously as the chief stepped away from the hole, allowing James and Carlos to continue their line of questions down the hole. "Are they really almost here?" Kendall asked.

The chief gave Kendall a side-glance, before sighing. "Listen, kid-"

"Kendall." Kendall corrected.

Chief Nolan nodded. "Kendall. I don't know how to say this. . ."

"You don't think they'll be here in time." Kendall finished in realization. "You think the water will raise, or Logan will collapse, or the cold will get him, before they get here." Shock, despair, devastation and fear were evident in his eyes and his voice. Tears suddenly rose to his eyes. "You think Logan is gonna die."

"I didn't say that." Chief Nolan defended hurriedly.

"But you're thinking it." Kendall said in a cracking voice. "You're a police chief. You've been in these situations for years. You would know when a case looks hopeless. This case. . .Logan. . .He's not gonna make it, is he?" He asked softly, a tear tracking down his face.

Chief Nolan stared at the heartbroken teen, trying so hard to keep from his own heart shattering. What could he say? That the boys should go over and say their goodbyes to their friend before he freezes to death? Or before he drowns? That everyone should just give up now and go home and leave the kid there to die?

"I'm not gonna give up on him." Kendall said shakily, but firmly. "Even if you are. I won't leave him down there. I won't let him die! None of us will!" He furiously wiped his face.

"And I won't either." Chief Nolan assured. He tentatively reached a hand out to lay on Kendall's shoulder, and sighed in relief when the kid didn't pull away. "You're right, I'm a police chief. I _have_ been in these situations before. But let me tell you, I have _never_ lost anyone since I've been on the force, and I don't intend on starting now."

Kendall sniffled, then looked up at the chief, before offering a small smile and a nod. "Thank you."

The chief smiled back. "I promise you Kendall, I won't rest until your friend is safe with you boys again. No matter what it takes."

Suddenly they heard the sound of approaching engines, and Kendall and the chief both shot a glance to the site entrance.

"They're here!" Kendall exclaimed.

"Get that crane as close to the hole as possible!" Chief Nolan immediately sprang into action, shouting orders, and helping men set it all up.

"What's going on?" Carlos asked as he peered around James. "What's the ruckus about?"

"They're here!" James cried. "The crane! Help is here!"

'They're here!" Carlos repeated happily, then looked back down into the hole. "It's okay now Logie! They're gonna get you out now!"

"Hehe, I bet you can't wait to get out of there, huh?" James chuckled.

Logan weakly looked back up at them and nodded slowly. "Y-you have no id-dea."

* * *

"Chief,". One man said. "It's dangerous. You can't-"

"I don't care!" The chief yelled. "Give me the line! I'm going down there!"

"Just let someone else-" The other officer that held the hook started.

"If that boy dies it's on _my_ head!" Chief Nolan yelled. "I will not let that happen! Give me, the line! I won't ask again!"

Finally the officer sighed and handed the chief the safety line that was attached to the crane. Chief Nolan quickly hooked it to his harness and pulled on it, testing its strength.

"Okay." The chief nodded. "I'm ready."

"Be careful." One officer called as he worked the crane, slowly lowering the chief into the hole.

The chief nodded as he descended, then looked down into the hole. "It's alright kid!" He called. "I'm comin' to get ya!"

Logan watched the chief weakly as he descended into the hole. Logan's strength was fading fast. He was glad the crane came when it did. He didn't think he could last much longer.

Three quarters in the hole, the chief could finally see the kid, and his full condition. The kid couldn't stop shivering and the water was already splashing passed his shoulders. Chief Nolan shot a glance up, wishing they could lower him faster so he could get the kid out of there.

Suddenly there was a cracking sound. Logan and Chief Nolan both shot their heads to the tunnel the water was coming from. Crumbling sounds echoed through the crave, then. . .

A loud break.

The water pressure had broken more of the wall and now water flooded through the tunnel and all around the mine.

Logan barely had time to suck in a breath before the water had completely buried him. The sudden cold that hit Logan as his head went under made him instinctively gasp, and he sucked in a lung-full of water.

"Logan!" The boys shouted in despair.

"No!" Chief Nolan yelled as the kid disappeared underwater. He looked back up through the hole. "Slack! Give me some slack!"

"He needs slack!" An officer yelled to the crane operator. The man nodded and let the crane go, allowing the weight of the chief to pull more rope down with him.

Chief Nolan quickly stood on a large boulder, where the water only came passed his shoes. His eyes scanned frantically in the water for the boy. He pulled on his rope to get more slack, then took a deep breath, and dived into the water.

The second the water hit him, Chief Nolan gasped, sucking in water. He resurfaced and coughed and sputtered, then looked around. "Kid! Where are you?" He yelled.

"Logan!" Carlos yelled tearfully through the hole.

"Help him!" James yelled. "Get him out of there!"

Suddenly there were men pulling Kendall, James and Carlos away from the hole.

"Come on kids!" The officer that hauled Kendall strained. "It's too dangerous. You gotta go!"

"No!" Kendall thrashed. "Let me go! Nolan you better bring him back to us!" He yelled at the hole as he and his friends were led away.

With Kendall's words, Chief Nolan searched determinedly for any sign of the kid. "Logan!" He yelled. "Where are you?"

Chief Nolan took a deep breath, then dived under. The water was murky and dirty; it was hard to see. He swam a little further, trying to stay against the current.

There, against the rock. A jacket. Chief Nolan swam towards the rock and found the kid gripping the rock with all his strength. But the current continually smashed against him, making it hard to keep a grip.

Logan's lungs burned. The currents' pressure pushing on his body felt like a thousand weights on every inch of him. His leg spiked in pain, and his hands scraped against the rock as he tried to find a grip. The water made the rock slippery, and the cold continued to drain Logan's strength. His lungs weakened, his grip lessened, his eyelids drooped closed. His grip slipped.

Chief Nolan burst forward and grabbed Logan's hand just as it left the rock, and he hauled him closer, then pushed towards the surface. As they broke through, Chief Nolan coughed and swam his hardest against the current to a higher point in the ground. He grabbed a stronger part of the rope, securing their position. Then he looked down at Logan laying limp in his arms.

Logan was unconscious. His lips were tinted blue and he was extremely pale. Chief Nolan quickly yanked on the rope. "Bring us up! I got him! Pull us up!" He yelled over the roaring of the rushing water. Immediately the rope strengthened, first gathering the slack then pulling the chief and Logan out of the water and slowly towards the surface.

Once the two were in view, men from the edge quickly pulled them over to safe ground, as the crane lowered them to the ground. Men swarmed them, covering them in blankets and unhooking Chief Nolan's harness.

The second they were on the ground, Chief Nolan laid Logan flat down, pushed away the hands of everyone trying to lay a blanket over them, and leaned his ear on Logan's chest.

Upon seeing the urgent face of the chief, and his actions, everyone backed away and remained silent, watching in apprehension.

Chief Nolan listened hard, praying for a sound. But he heard no heartbeat. "Damnit." He cursed under his breath, then immediately went into CPR. He lifted Logan's chin, blew in two breaths, and started counting out his compressions.

* * *

Kendall, James and Carlos stood on their tip-toes, trying to see over the sea of workers that had suddenly swarmed the hole. Fear clutched their hearts as they heard yelling, and then their fear heightened when they heard nothing.

"What do you think's going on?" Carlos asked as he tried to see from where they were behind the fence.

"I don't know." James said, peering around. "I think the chief came back out. But I can't see anything."

"He better have Logan with him." Kendall hissed to himself as he glared at the wall of men blocking his view.

"What if. . ." Carlos started, then trailed off.

James looked over and wrapped an arm around Carlos' shoulders. "He'll be okay." He said softly.

Kendall squinted into the men, trying to see any opening to what they had surrounded. Finally, a man shifted his position, and Kendall caught a glimpse. His eyes widened and he jumped over the fence, his friends following.

"Logan!"

* * *

"Twenty-nine. . .Thirty." Chief Nolan counted, then went to the mouth and blew in two breaths.

"Logan!"

Bursting through the crowd was the boys, and they fell to the ground by their friend, tears in their eyes.

"Come on Logan." Kendall said firmly. "Wake up."

"Please buddy." Carlos sobbed softly. "You gotta wake up!"

"Come on." James whispered as he watched the chief compress Logan's chest. "Come on!"

"Twenty-eight. . ." The chief counted, desperately trying to block out the heartbroken voices of the boys, staring at their unconscious friend. "Twenty-nine. . .Thirty." He blew a breath, then anoth-

Halfway through the second breath, water shot up from Logan's mouth, and he coughed and sputtered. Immediately Chief Nolan helped him on his side and rubbed his back as Logan coughed up water.

"Get the stretcher over here!" Chief Nolan demanded, and watched as the men dispersed and swarmed the ambulance by the road. Then the chief looked back down to Logan. "Hey,". He said softly. "Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

Logan didn't answer. As his coughing settled, his head rested on the ground weakly as he tried to regulate his breathing. His whole body trembled fiercely with the cold. Chief Nolan just rubbed his back.

"I-is he gonna be okay?" Kendall asked worriedly.

The paramedics team finally arrived at their spot and carefully loaded Logan onto the stretcher, then ran back to the ambulance, throwing as many blankets on him as they could.

Chief Nolan, sporting his own blanket hanging around his shoulders, fumbled in his pockets for his keys, then started towards his car. "Come on boys." He called over his shoulder.

"Hey!" Kendall yelled as he ran in front of the chief, staring at him intensely. The others flanked Kendall with mirrored stares. "Is. He. Gonna be. Okay?" Kendall demanded.

Chief Nolan sighed. "I don't know."

The boys froze in fear, tears surfacing to their eyes.

"Come on." Chief Nolan ushered them to follow him. "We'll take my car to the hospital."

Silently the boys followed, climbing into the chief's car. They only barely registered the chief blare his sirens, and speed down the road following the ambulance that held their friend. They just prayed he would be alright.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Thanks for all the love you guys. :) This is the last part. Hope you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

Falling Inside The Black Pt. 3

He slowly opened his eyes as he woke up. His whole body ached, and he tentatively sat up, rubbing his sore parts and stretching the kinks and stiffness out.

"Hey Kendall." James whispered from the other side of the room. "Couldn't sleep either, huh?"

"Hey James." Kendall whispered back, then yawned. "What time is it?"

"Almost eleven." James answered. "Your mom went home to look after Katie for the night. They'll both be here in the morning."

"Cool." Kendall whispered. He stood from the plastic chair and stretched long upward, before sitting back down with a sigh.

"Did you hear about that construction site?" James asked. "The one near that field. Apparently they hit a water pipe. They got fired for carelessness."

Kendall scoffed lightly. "That explains the water."

James chuckled lightly. "Yeah. Jerks. Chief Nolan got to do the honors of handing them their fine."

"Good for him." Kendall said proudly. "After what their mistake put us through. . .I only wish their punishment was higher." He sighed, letting his gaze drift.

"Yeah." James said softly, then followed Kendall's sad stare to the hospital bed. Logan lay still and pale, his lips a slightly duller shade of blue it was when he was first brought in to the hospital. James mimicked Kendall's sigh. "He's fine." He whispered, trying to convince Kendall, and himself.

Kendall sighed. "I know." He whispered. "It's just. . .Hard to believe that sometimes. He hasn't woken up since the field, and he's really pale. I'm just. . .Worried."

"Me too." James whispered.

"But he's gonna be fine." Carlos cut in as he woke, stretching himself from the plastic chair. "The doctors said he was going to be fine. . .Right?"

"Yeah Carlos." James said softly as he wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Even though he's really sick, the doctors gave him stuff to help him get better. He's gonna be just fine."

"Then why hasn't he woken up yet?" Carlos whispered softly to himself.

Kendall and James sighed. "We don't know Carlos." Kendall whispered. "But he will. He's strong. He'll wake up."

Carlos stared at the bed sadly. "Please wake up Logie." He whispered softly.

* * *

Everything ached as his mind regained consciousness. His head and leg hurt something fierce and his whole body felt like there was a ton of bricks laying on every inch of him.

In his leg however, the metaphorical bricks felt like they were spiked with long daggers that were continually stabbing it painfully. A small, weak and groggy groan escaped his lips.

Slowly he cracked open his eyes. His vision was blurred for a bit. It took blinking repeatedly and shaking his aching head a little to clear the haze, but finally they started to focus.

The first thing Logan noticed when he opened his eyes was the tube in his nose, running to machines around the bed. There he noticed the heart monitor beeping steadily. Then he looked around the room.

What Logan saw as he looked around the room, was James to his right, sleeping awkwardly in a chair. His elbow was propped up on the arm of the chair and his hand held his head up. Beside him, Carlos was curled up in his chair, his head resting on James' shoulder.

To Logan's left was Kendall. His legs were propped up on the bed, his arms laying across his torso. All of them were sleeping quietly. Logan smiled at the sight. His friends had surrounded him, creating a safe barrier.

Logan tried shifting on the bed, but the action irritated his leg and a small grunt of pain escaped his lips, then turned into a coughing fit, irritating his sore throat.

"Logan?" Kendall shot up in his chair and leaned over Logan worriedly. "Whoa whoa whoa, calm down buddy."

Through Logan's harsh coughing, he could feel someone slip their hand under his back and turn him on his side, then rub circles on his back.

"Easy Logan." James said as he rubbed Logan's back. "Just breathe."

Finally Logan's coughing settled, and he breathed heavily as James set him on his back again. Then Kendall lifted his head gently.

"Here." Carlos said, handing Kendall a glass of water.

Kendall held it to Logan's lips, helping him drink. "Slowly Logan. Nice and easy."

Logan drank the water and Kendall set the cup on the bedside table, then gently lowered Logan back down on the bed.

"Better?" Kendall asked.

Logan nodded. "Thanks." He croaked out, his voice raspy and hoarse.

All three of his friends' worried and scared faces and posture visibly relaxed with a collective sigh. They all sat back down silently.

"You had us worried for a while." James said quietly. "Nice to see you awake." He offered a small smile.

"How long was I out?" Logan rasped.

The boys sent worried looks at each other, increasing Logan's own worry.

"Guys?" Logan asked.

"Look,". Kendall said. "All that matters is that you're awake now, and you're okay."

Logan frowned. "How long?" He croaked more forcefully.

They all dropped their gazes to their hands.

Finally Carlos sighed. "A week." He said quietly.

"What?" Logan breathed in shock. He started to sit up again, his diminutive strength only allowing him an inch off the bed. His heart rate increased, the monitor beeping rapidly.

Kendall quickly laid his hands on Logan's shoulders gently, pushing him back down. "Whoa there Logan. Just calm down. Take it easy."

Logan had no strength to fight Kendall, so he was pushed back down to the bed. Though his heart never slowed. His breathing was harsh and shallow, bordering on hyperventilation.

"Logan, you have to calm down." James said urgently. "You'll only make it worse."

"Easy Logan." Carlos said smoothly. "Just calm down. We're right here."

Slowly, Logan's breathing slowed, along with his heart and the monitor. He laid on the bed and closed his eyes, focusing on slowing his breathing.

"You okay?" Kendall asked after a minute.

Logan opened his eyes and thought for a bit, before shaking his head. "No." He mumbled. "I was asleep for a week. How does someone sleep for a whole week?" He asked bitterly. Then he sighed. "What happened to me?"

The guys sat back down with sighs. "After you were pulled out of that hole,". Kendall started. "You. . .You weren't breathing."

"Chief Nolan. . ." James picked up. "He had to use CPR on you."

"When you finally came to. . ." Carlos began. "You weren't responding to us. They had to rush you to the hospital."

"Aside from your broken leg,". Kendall began. "You caught moderate hypothermia. The doctors said that if you were in that water for five more minutes. . ." He trailed off.

"We would've lost you." James whispered hauntedly.

Logan looked at all of their solemn faces with sympathetic eyes.

"The doctors rushed you into the emergency room the second you were brought in." Carlos said sadly. "They gave you medicine to help with the hypothermia, and wrapped you in blankets and stuff. It was. . .Scary. . .Not knowing what was happening to you."

James laid a hand on Carlos' shoulder before turning back to Logan. "We waited for three hours before anyone told us what was happening. The hypothermia. . .It was so close to taking you, even after everything the doctors did."

"But you pulled through." Kendall said firmly. "You fought it. You came back to us. But it left you exhausted." He shrugged with a sigh. "So you slept."

"For a week." Carlos muttered.

Logan blinked at the information, trying to process it all. "Wow." He breathed.

James chuckled lightly. "Yeah. Tell me about it." He ran a hand through his hair.

Logan dropped his gaze to his hands on his stomach. "I'm sorry I put you guys through all that." He said quietly.

"It's not your fault Logan." Kendall said as he laid a hand on Logan's shoulder. "We're just glad you're okay, and awake now." He offered a small smile.

Logan smiled lightly back. "Me too." He said softly.

"We missed you." Carlos said softly.

Logan smiled at Carlos. "I missed you guys too." He motioned Carlos closer.

Carlos climbed onto the bed and gently laid his head on Logan's shoulder, wrapping an arm around his stomach lightly. "I'm glad you're okay Logie." Carlos whispered, closing his eyes.

Logan weakly hugged Carlos close to him. "Me too 'Los." He whispered to an already sleeping Carlos, snoring softly.

Kendall and James smiled. "That's the best he's slept all week." James whispered.

Logan smiled then motioned them closer as well. Kendall and James climbed onto the bed, laying at the bottom where they would fit, but close enough to each other and Logan and Carlos for comfort. In seconds they were all sleeping soundly, soft smiles on their faces.

* * *

**Author's note: And there you have it! hope you liked it swagUPwindowsDOWN! If not, I'm sorry, I'll try better next time! ^^;**

**This is the last request I'm accepting. Sorry folks, I already have one more to do, and then I have other stuff I need to do, like school. XP Just kill me now. I kid! Hope this was good! On to my next one! Hopefully. . .**


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